


road of broken hearts

by hyucklesss



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst (Kind of), M/M, Oneshot, Smoking, Strangers, strangers to lovers ... sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25193383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyucklesss/pseuds/hyucklesss
Summary: “i can tell you’re curious.”mark kept surprising donghyuck.“huh?”“don’t you want to know what happened to me?” he completely read his thoughts, and donghyuck almost asked out loud how he knew.“yes,” he responded, almost out of breath, like he’ve been chasing the answer for years, and finally stopped at his goal.-a short story, in which two boys reunite under a cold storm of violent tears and angry shouts, not knowing that they have been waiting their whole lives for this moment.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	road of broken hearts

**Author's Note:**

> pretty short ,,, but i hope you enjoy nonetheless! i’ve always wanted to write markhyuck cuz they’re the cutest <3
> 
> enjoy loves~

the road donghyuck came ambling on was said to be one of nightmares, tree branches like demon hands casting chilling shadows on the sidewalk, women and men stolen right off the street in broad daylight, wind that fuels a person’s worst inner self, their own personal demon, and sending them flying off the rails. this road was said to be one of broken hearts, littering the street like leaves in the dead of autumn.

donghyuck walked on broken heart shells, carrying his own in the palms of his hands, prohibiting it from joining the rest.

a storm was coming, biting, tearing through the streets that even the demons that lay asleep in the trees cowered like frightened puppies. a loud clap of thunder, a chilling screech of a crow, a whimper of wind between the trees, donghyuck walked on, feigning sadness.

the boy, pure porcelain skin and cold purple locks, knew well he shouldn’t be on this road. a boy like him, so young, so vulnerable, was exposed to the horrible nature of this unnamed road, one that he used to venture far from, having obeyed his mother’s words to stray away from this road. but a broken heart carries a lot of weight, and before he knew it, he was straying down the path he never have expected to.

the street was cold, deteriorating buildings looming alongside the road, an occasional rustle beneath the brush as a person scrambled to get away with a loaf of bread glued to their palms. the gas stations were empty, the houses were abandoned, and the bars were looted, all thrown away like useless pieces of scrap.

groups of reckless teenagers with nothing but their personal ego holding themselves by threads would trample through the weaves of fallen branches, daring one another to spook themselves by climbing in the window of an abandoned house. careless, stupid, they were, but to them, it was all but a great leap of fun, a rush of adrenaline through their strings of veins, a simple, delighted excitement to entertain themselves on an otherwise boring day.

donghyuck liked to think he was smarter than them, more mature than them, but really, anyone would do anything to get away from a place that devoured their souls and picked at their hearts. those teenagers? the worst of them all. broken unlike any other. and donghyuck, with his usual bubbly persona, never would’ve thought that he would’ve ventured alongside them, watching as they climb walls like monkeys, and laugh heartily like it was their last.

because, really, it would be, for a long time. 

the night had fallen soon thereafter, a sudden overlap of darkness, consuming the road beneath it until not even the grasshoppers stirred in the leaves. there were barely any streetlights on this road, the occasional one dimming the road with an eerie glow, and even then the light didn’t stray far, and donghyuck found himself hunched over a bench beneath one of those lights. 

the boy let out a huffed breath, watching as the wisps of white climbed into the sky and fell away again.

he sat in silence for a long time, and his thoughts began to eat away at him.

donghyuck violently shoved the tears out of his eyes.

it was true that this road was the most depressing to look at, and beneath the angry trees and the sullen gleam of the moon, was the stories of many, buried beneath the tear-stained streets.

donghyuck guessed that many people his age strolled down this road beneath the moon’s glow, broken-hearted just like him, with their strained thoughts trailing behind them.

yeah, donghyuck wasn’t so different.

and so the boy sat in silence for the next few minutes, listening as the wind whistled in his ears, and the approaching storm crackle and scream from miles away. he was so into his thoughts, away in his own world, that he didn’t realize the soft padding of footsteps approach him, and the slight dip into the bench where another boy had taken his place beside him.

he only noticed once the smell of a cigarette butt reached his nostrils. donghyuck coughed, and he turned.

like a ghost in the wind, the boy appeared, raven locks a bit too long and delicate moves a bit too graceful, sitting beside donghyuck like he owned the place. the boy looked unreal, straight out a storybook.

donghyuck opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. he shut his mouth, glaring off to the side to hide away his tear-stained face. the boy beside him lifted an eyebrow, tilting his head in mild curiosity and concern. he sighed, and let his head fall back against the bench.

“what’s a pretty boy like you doing here, sulking on a bench, crying?” the raven-haired boy called out, an unsettling calmness to his voice.

donghyuck was taken aback by the question, not nearly expecting that to come out of his mouth. he bit his lip. he suddenly didn’t feel welcome, like he wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time; like he entered the gates of hell, and was now being questioned by the gatekeeper, the grim reaper himself, who held the many souls of broken-hearted humans in his torn palms. he counted down the minutes for him to join them. 

donghyuck sighed. “i have a lot of reasons why.”  _ ones that i do not wish to share. _

the boy beside him laughed, amused by his answer. he shifted the blunt from one hand to the other.

“touché,” he responded, placing the cigarette between his lips and inhaling, watching as the smoke fell from his nose and mouth, painting a mural in the night sky.

the two sat in silence, donghyuck’s heart threatening to rip out of his chest, and the boy listening to it tentatively. he was the first to break the silence.

“you don’t come here often, do you?” he asked with a slight jump in his voice. donghyuck rummaged through the clutter of possible answers floating in his head, but the way the other boy looked at him made it much more harder to concentrate.

donghyuck cleared his throat. “no…no i don’t.”

the faint smile that spread itself on the boy’s face was unmistakeable.

“i can tell,” the boy’s eyes wandered, “you don’t seem the type, pretty boy.”

donghyuck hated to admit that the pet name sent his heart flipping and cartwheeling inside his chest. he always thought of himself as an easy-going person, confident, and a way with his words that made it seem like he’s been through the same conversations a million times over, but sitting on a park bench, in an unfamiliar street, and a terribly battered heart, he felt so small, like the whole world was against him. 

donghyuck raised his voice. “do i?”

the boy’s smile remained. “no, you don’t. a boy like you shouldn’t have a broken heart; a boy like you is the one who breaks other’s hearts.”

this sent donghyuck spiraling. he snapped his head towards the boy, staring into his dark eyes for the first time.

donghyuck didn’t have the courage to respond, nor the right words.

the boy continued, head tilted curiously like a puppy. “where are you from, pretty boy?”

“jeju,” the other boy’s face flashed with realization, “you?”

“hmm, i’m from around here, just the neighborhood across,” he hummed, satisfied.

donghyuck nodded, but this whole conversation with an- admittedly, pretty- stranger was rather confusing, to say the least.

“how come you hang around here, then,” he gestured around them with his hand, “in a place as horrible as this?

the other boy sighed, taking a deep breath from his cigarette. “it’s not as bad as it looks, really. it’s comforting.”

donghyuck’s shoulders dropped.

“comforting?”

“yeah, comforting. it’s quiet, serene, untouched. and despite the horrible stories that have been said about this place, it’s not bad. it’s not all bad.” the boy’s head fell, strands of hair falling around his eyes. “a broken person like me, in a broken place like this, belongs. we share our differences, ‘ya know?” he looked up, eyes boring into donghyuck’s. “it sounds crazy, now that i say out loud.” he chuckled, but it sounded far from amusement. “i never really have anyone to talk to. everyone avoids this place, so it’s a bit hard striking up a conversation with someone without them running away with their tail between their legs.”

donghyuck sighed, and he felt a pang in his heart, like an arrow piercing the exterior.

“yeah, i sort of understand now,” he responded softly.

the other boy sat back, relaxed, relieved, and took another breath of the blunt between his fingers. something in the atmosphere shifted, and donghyuck suddenly didn’t feel all too bad sitting on a broken bench, on a broken road, chatting with an all too broken stranger.

the boy looked over, and extended his right hand, the one free of a cigarette.

“my name’s mark.”

donghyuck glanced at his hand, then his face, and back at his hand. he took it.

“i’m donghyuck.”

the boy- mark- smiled, eyes clear of the fog cluttering his vision. “nice to meet you, donghyuck.”

mark lifted his hand and rested his cheek on his palm, looking over at the boy across from him. donghyuck copied his posture, but the heat that erupted in his cheeks was undeniable.

“tell me something about you,” mark said, blinking softly.

donghyuck smiled, and starting then did the stranger he just met became the only relevant person in his life. and, really, he lost track of time, sitting on that bench underneath the only streetlight, admiring the way the moonlight fell onto mark, illuminating his skin like he was a star against the night sky. he sat so beautifully, too, fitting right into the background like a painting.

“i’m not very interesting, honestly,” donghyuck pointed out.  _ but you definitely are. _

mark squinted his eyes. “i’m sure you are. you have an,” he paused, searching for the right word, “aura.” he gave a lopsided smile, almost shyly, and donghyuck’s eyes sparkled.

“an aura, huh?”

mark nodded. “yep.”

“well,” donghyuck shifted his position, “i’m a singer.”

mark didn’t hide his enthusiasm. “a singer? see, you do have something interesting about you...sing something for me.”

donghyuck’s eyes widened, taken aback by mark’s statement.

“i-“

“are you shy?”

“...a bit.”

mark nodded, understanding. “it’s alright.”

a calming silence fell over the two of them, the only thing being heard was the soft rustling as the wind blew in the trees, but even then, the two lonely boys could hear the other’s thoughts that pounded inside their heads.

donghyuck‘s mind began filling with questions in moments.

how is mark like? how is his home life? what does he do for a living? who are his friends? does he have any friends? why is he  _ really  _ here? do the streets call out to him like they do to donghyuck? do they reach out with their staggering arms and force mark to walk down its path? why is this place “broken”, and how is mark so sure about it? why, why, why? why is mark broken like he claims he is? ...what broke him?

or who?

“donghyuck.”

the boy looked up, purple strands of hair glistening beneath the stars.

“yes?”

mark’s face was stern. he seemed serious. “you seem...bothered.”

donghyuck hesitated. “i’m not...i just...have questions.”

“i’m here, aren’t i? what’s on your mind?” the boy across from him stared forward towards the street, playing with his fingers anxiously. he looked down at his palms. donghyuck weighed his options.

“why are you here?”

mark barked a laugh, but it fell quicker than the smoke coming out of his cigarette after he took in donghyuck’s solemn expression.

“haven’t we gone over this?” he asked.

donghyuck pressed his lips together. “really, mark. why are you  _ really  _ here?”

mark sighed, running a hand through his raven hair. “it’s comforting, i told you already.” he looked over at the boy beside him, but donghyuck didn’t flinch. mark continued, his voice lowered to a whisper, “i mean, i don’t have anything to go back to. i sort of grew up here. i spent all my time here after school and during my breaks from my side job.” he inhaled sharply. “it’s actually quite pretty during the day. i can see why you might find the streets intimidating at nightfall.”

donghyuck dropped his head, hoping to hide the small beginnings of a smile that began spreading on his lips. he slowly began understanding the boy beside him more each minute that passed by, but it didn’t differ from the fact his mind was full of questions. ones he were willing to ask, too, because there was no denying that mark was far more interesting than he had anticipated. 

mark lowered his head, tilting it to glance at donghyuck’s face. “did that answer your question?”

the purple-haired boy didn’t realize until now how close the two of them were seated, having grown closer together, both mentally and physically. mark’s soft breath fanned donghyuck’s cheek. he leaned back, inhaling another puff of air from his cigarette.

“yeah, it did.” donghyuck looked over at mark, admiring the way his jaw was clenched, his lips puckered around the end of the blunt, how his eyelids were half closed and how the tips of his hair were draped over his forehead almost gracefully. yet, there was something about mark’s appearance, the way he moved, the way he dressed, that made the burnt out candle light in his eyes so prominent as it melted into the blackness of his pupils. 

_ what happened to you?  _

“i can tell you’re curious.”

mark kept surprising donghyuck.

“huh?”

“don’t you want to know what happened to me?” he completely read his thoughts, and donghyuck almost asked out loud how he knew.

“yes,” he responded, almost out of breath, like he’ve been chasing the answer for years, and finally stopped at his goal.

and moments later, mark found himself spilling his thoughts out on the gravel below them, while donghyuck listened tentatively to his story and finally understood everything. the two of them felt as if they’ve known each other for the longest time, having come to an understanding that they each have their differences, they each have their reasons to be here, they each have a will to be with the other, because, frankly, the two knew that what they were doing, talking straight from their hearts, was something they’ve been waiting for their whole life. someone who understood.

donghyuck hadn’t realized he was crying until mark reached up and swiped his cold tear away. he blinked, and another drop fell, freezing away into the cold wind. despite how much the temperature had dropped outside, donghyuck’s heart felt warm, heating up his insides like a flame.

he didn’t even know it was possible for his face to heat up when the air was so cold, but mark’s arms around his neck sent arrows of heat into his skin, and he suddenly felt like his breath was pushed out of him.

donghyuck took a second before leaning into the warm hug, pushing his arms underneath mark’s, gripping his waist, inhaling the sweet smell of tangerines and cigarettes on his honey-like skin, and he felt his heart sink, because he knew they would have to pull away eventually, but the hug felt so sweet, so comforting, that it took everything for mark and donghyuck to let go of each other.

the younger boy felt his skin freeze again, and he craved for mark’s touch again. his skin was so soft, like feathers, so light against his own, that it balanced out all the dead weight that pulled donghyuck down to the deepest pit that held all the evil of the world.

donghyuck didn’t feel all too bad anymore about this road; the storm that had been crawling down the path fell away, and the screaming was gone, leaving a calm whisper in its wake. it felt like a fresh intake of air, a refreshing start, that blew away all the demons that hid in the trees, and donghyuck couldn’t see them anymore, because his mind made them up, created an evil spawn out of this road, but it felt right now. he thanked mark for that.

“thank you,” mark said quietly, almost shyly, but he meant it all the same.

donghyuck gave an awkward smile. “for what?”

mark returned it. “for understanding.”

and then they were hugging again, donghyuck having initiated first, solely because he craved for another hug from mark, but also because he wanted to tell him that the favor was mutual between them, and he genuinely cared for the stranger he had grown to know of in the past hour.

when mark let go, he said, “it’s getting late, and i don’t want to keep you. you should get some rest.”

donghyuck found his words so endearing, and it rattled him how one could have such a big heart- broken, but still hanging on- and still managed to give a little love every time.

donghyuck hoped for more.

“alright.” he stood from the bench, having stepped over the burnt-out cigarette that once belonged to mark, and backed away. donghyuck watched the other boy with a smile, and he turned away.

mark’s voice stopped him. “wait, donghyuck!”

he turned instantly, because deep down he had hoped for mark to say something before he left, but wasn’t entirely sure he would.

“meet me here tomorrow. six pm. i’ve got to show you something.”

donghyuck nodded. “okay, mark. and thank you.”

mark bit his bottom lip. “for what?”

but donghyuck didn’t answer, having already stalked off down the road with his hands buried in the pockets of his coat, his purple hair shifting in the dying wind, and his face keeping the same charming smile.

he found it interesting how two people managed to come together under the same sky, on a fateful night, on the treacherous road with more stories to tell than the average person, and donghyuck guessed- no, he  _ knew _ \- that they were driven together by the words of the universe, one way or another, because the pang in his heart was undeniable, and he was sure mark felt it too from the way he had looked and spoke to donghyuck.

two halves of a broken heart molded into one; donghyuck and mark, mark and donghyuck; they swore to make the best out of it, whether it was the first, or last thing they would do.

donghyuck walked down the road, the moon casting a silvery shadow on his back, just like when he came up the road barely two hours ago, but it was different this time, by a lot. the main one being that his heart wasn’t as torn as before, rather it held a temporary bandaid on the crack that threatened to rip it all apart. a bandaid with mark’s name on it. donghyuck was willing to wait until that crack was permanently healed, but in the meantime, he went to sleep knowing a boy out there was willing to comfort him, and donghyuck would risk it all for him, nonetheless. 

**Author's Note:**

> please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed! they mean the world to me (:
> 
> [twitter.](https://twitter.com/rjbread)


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